Finding Snow
by Delicious Poptart
Summary: Seireitei faces a great danger and Aizen's plan must be stopped, but what of Hinamori? And where is her dear Hitsugaya? Spiteful words, broken hearts, and painful departures. Can Hinamori heal that deep wound and regain her lost love? HitsuxHina
1. Chapter 1

Hello there everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of Finding Snow! This is my first fan-fic, and I hope that it isn't too bad...If you have any comments please do say so! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

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**~oOo~**

The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating all of Soul Society. The bustling hallways, which were usually full of rushed shinigamis were all empty, and cleared of any noise. The training areas were all deserted. Not a single soul could be seen. The captains and vice captains had long retired for the night, and now rested in their respected rooms. Well, everyone except for one person.

Hinamori Momo.

She sat on the edge of her balcony, her knees gently pressed against her chest, and her chin resting above them.

She sighed.

It was another restless night.

It's been 4 years since the betrayal of Aizen, and 3 years since the end of the horrible, devastating war that came afterwards, but the pain was still there. The nightmares still haunted her mind. She could not yet let go of the past...the feeling of being betrayed by the one person she truly admired and lived for...and the memory of hurting her one and only friend.

Momo buried her face in her hands. Every time she thought of **HIM **and the horrible things she said, her heart will crumble into little pieces.

"I'm so stupid..." she whispered to herself

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she recollected the memories of that horrible, horrible night.

**~oOo~**

_She held the note in her trembling hand. Her eyes filled with pain and anger. Tears streaking her face._

"_H..Hinamori."_

_She flinched at the sound of the familiar voice. _

"_YOU!" _

_She crumpled the tiny note in her hand. She quickly turned around and pointed accusingly at the young boy in front of her._

"_Hinamori?!" his eyes were filled with confusion, and pain._

_Her grip on tobiume tightened._

"_H...How...could...you Shiro-chan?" she faintly said_

_The boy was obviously confused at what the the young girl was saying._

"_W..ha..t?"_

"_This...this is all your doing....YOU KILLED AIZEN!!" yelled a desperate Hinamori. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! YOU KILLED THE ONE PERSON I LOVED!!"_

_In less then a second, her sword was turned against her childhood friend._

"_IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! I HATE YOU!!!" _

_That's the last she remembered before blacking out._

**~oOo~**

Momo could not help but cry at the memory. All he did was try to help her...and she..in turn, hurt him, betrayed him, pushed him away...

Even after she had awaken from her long coma, all she could do was spit out words of hate.

"_I HATE YOU!"_

She grasped her knees tighter.

"_Why wont' you leave me ALONE!?"_

She bit her lip.

"_WHY WON'T YOU JUST DISSAPPEAR?! _"

A small whimper escaped her mouth.

"_GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!"_

Why? Why didn't she realize it sooner?

Why did she fall for his plan? Why did she believe his lies? Why...why..

"Why am I so stupid?"

Her actions only deepened the wound that she had caused, and because of her ignorance, HE was gone...

...and she was alone.

Hinamori looked up at the sky, staring intensely at the moon.

"_Damn it Bedwetter Momo!"_

She tried very hard...

"_You're such a klutz Hinamori"_

...each and every single day...

"_Don't call me Shiro-Chan!!"_

...to not think about him...

"_I'll protect you."_

...but that was something far out of her control.

Tears started to form in her eyes again.

_It's all my fault. I hurt you. I caused you pain...It's all my fault. And now you're gone...you left my side, and now I'm all alone. It's all my fault. I miss you so much..._

"Where are you Shiro-chan?"

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A/N: There goes the first chapter! If you want, Review! As I said before, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Ideas too!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there again! Sorry for the wait...to tell you the truth, I completely forgot I had an account on this website! I know, I know, I'm bad, go ahead, you have all the right to throw imaginary things at me xD Please no flaming though. I truly am sorry ;o; The famous Rangiku Matsumoto makes her appearance in this chapter! I apologize if she seams a little OC , I tried my best! Now onwards with the story!

**Disclaimer: I don't Own Bleach**

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"ori..."

_What's that?_

"mori...."

_H...Hitsugaya-kun? Is it you?_

"namori."

_Hitsugaya, please...come back...._

"Hinamori!"

_Don't leave me all alone..._

"**HINAMORI!"**

The young brunette immediately woke from her deep slumber, letting out a yelp of surprise. She took a few glances across the room to find that no one was there.

"W...where is everyone? Wait, did I fall asleep?! Did I miss the whole meeting?! Was there even a meeting?! I can't remember!!!" The young girl started to panic and was about to cry out of frustration when she felt someone lightly tap her shoulder.

"Umm, behind here." spoke a familiar voice.

Hinamori froze. She cocked her head back to find the one and only Rangiku Matsumoto. Hinamori relaxed.

"_It's just her... Wait, what is SHE doing here? Does this mean I actually missed a meeting?! Oh noooo!"_

Just then, she was interrupted from her thoughts by a loud 'yoohoo'.

Matsumoto stopped waving her hand. She leaned closer to Hinamori's face. She frowned.

"Are you allright Hinamori? You've been...kinda out of it lately..."

Hinamori lowered her head.

"And you fell asleep during the meeting...again"

Hinamori couldn't help it. The last couple of nights had been quite a torture for her. Everytime she tried to fall asleep, her mind would be swarmed with all these thoughts about...

"...Hitsugaya."

Hinamori quickly shot her head up at the sound of his name. Matsumoto chuckled at her reaction.

"Aaah, I see now. You've been thinking about my taichou, haven't you?"

Hinamori couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Sure, she thought about him, but, when it came to telling someone about it, she would just deny it and hide in her little shell.

"..."

Matsumoto let out an exasperated sigh. She knew what Hinamori was going through, and tried to help various times, but the young girl was just so stubborn!

"Listen, if not talking about it is going to make you restless at night, then you might as well tell me." said a worried Matsumoto.

"I..I don't, it's not him. Is just the medicine. That's all." responded Hinamori.

"Are you sure? Because it looks to me like you can't stop thinking about..."

"It's the medicine."

"If you say so..." said Matsumoto with a playful tone. "Well I'll let you go..this time."

"Thanks!" Hinamori turned and was on her way out until she heard Matsumoto's last sentence.

"Too bad. ..And I was soooooo looking forward to telling you some news about Hitsugaya."

"Hitsugaya-kun?! Really!?"

Hinamori quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Matsumoto smirked. She had fallen for her trap.

"Why don't we go back to my office?"

~o0o~

Hinamori kept staring at her hands, as if they were the most interesting things in the world. She kept moving around the couch, trying to find a comfortable spot, but failed. It's not that the couch was unpleasant, in fact, it was quite comfy, it's just Hinamori wasn't in just any old office. She happened to be inside _Hitsugaya's_ office, the place she often tried to avoid, for if she didn't, she felt like she would crumble into nothing.

"Sorry I took long! It's been a while since I made tea." said Matsumoto while handing a small cup of tea to Hinamori.

She took the small cup in her hands and brought it closer to her face. The sweet scent of honey and cinnamon overtook her. She blew gently before taking a small sip. She could taste the sweet flavor of honey, and the delicious burst of cinnamon on her tongue. It had been a while since she had such good tea...

Matsumoto not being able to contain her excitement, decided to burst Hinamori's little moment by reminding her why she came with her to Hitsugaya's office. Hinamori gently placed the tea in the small table in front of her.

"Do...do...do you really have news about..."

"Of course I do!" shouted Matsumoto "Why else would I bring you here?"

At that statement, Hinamori's face brightened a little. When she agreed to come with Matsumoto, she wasn't quite sure if she was bluffing, or if she was telling the truth. Hearing that last statement from her, she couldn't help but feel a little excited. Taking Hinamori's smile as a sign to continue, Matsumoto went on.

"I know it may not be much, but I think I know where Hitsugaya is"

Hinamori jumped onto Matsumoto "Really?!" Matsumoto, not expecting THAT big of a reaction, was totally shocked and caught off guard. Hinamori stared intensely at her with her caramel colored eyes, full of questions and worry, and waited for her to respond.

F..First...Get..off" choked out Matsumoto. Hinamori, realizing what she did, blushed embarrassment and quickly climbed of, mumbling a small apology.. Rangiku quickly straightened herself once again.

"As I was saying, I may know of Hitsugaya's whereabouts. According to some reliable sources, Hitsugaya is residing in the Human World at the moment."

"..." Hinamori looked dumbfounded. "The..human world? B..But why?"

"Well, I don't know all the details. Apparently, that substitute-shinigami, you know, the one that hangs out with Rukia? Well, apparently he said that there was an abnormal amount of Hollows in the human world, so they shipped taichou there for reinforcements.

Hinamori tried to absorb all the newly-found information. _Hitsugaya._ _In the Human world? Why would they need reinforcement if Rukia-san is there? Unless, there really is a problem with the hollows...But why would Hitsugaya leave..._Then it hit her. The harsh reality. She felt a pain inside her chest as the memory came back.

"H..how...do you know it's true? Is this source really reliable?" asked Hinamori, as a last attempt to try to push back that horrid feeling of guilt that was slowly creeping through her body,

Matsumoto blinked a few times before responding. "Of course, for it was Renji who told me! Renji is the one that heard from Rukia that Hitsugaya was staying with her in the human world! It's 100% true!"

Hinamori almost wished she hadn't said that, but then again, she wanted to know where her dear Hitsugaya was, but she didn't like the feelings that slowly overtook her body.

_He's in the Human World. Far from Soul Society. Far from Me...It's all my fault..._

Matsumoto, noticing her sudden change of mood, was about to ask her what's wrong when Renji burst into the office.

"Hey Rangi...uhh, did I interrupt something?"

Hinamori pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall, and stood up. "No, no, we were just finished talking!" she said, with a fake smile. "Thanks for your time Rangiku! Bye!" And then she disappeared from the room leaving a confused Renji and Rangiku..

She ran as fast as she could to her division,

_I said such awful things._

Passing many other shinigamis who were in the long hallway,

_I hurt him._

And when she arrived to her room, she wept.

_I pushed him away..._

~o0o~

Back in the 10th Squad division office, a curios Renji asked what Matsumoto and Hinamori were discussing before he arrived.

"Hmm?Oh, nothing, just girl stuff. Now, why are you here?"

Renji smirked, and brought out the bottle of sake he was hiding behind his back Matsumoto grinned "Oh good. I was in need of a break."

_And he left me..._

_

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_

**A/N: What do you guys think? I know it was kinda boring, and still no Hitsugaya..but no worries! He'll make an appearance next chapter!Commentary and Feedback will be great! Until Next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hello and Welcome to 'Finding Snow's 3rd chapter!! Wooh! Okay, now I know I haven't updated in a while -cough- (A few months) -cough- I'm really sorry. Truly I am. You see, my computer is old -cough (Almost 10 years old) -cough- And sometimes it loses information...it took me a while to recover the lost information. Why? Well I didn't want to rewrite it because it wouldn't be the same...anyhow, enough of my ramblings..onward with the story!! -gets mobbed by angry readers-

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters. I said it...D': **

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_The Sun. A great heap of fire that warms the Earth. That keeps civilization going. The one that keeps the Earth in balance. The one that makes the birds sing, the flowers bloom, and that gives hope to humanity. The Sun. A symbol of life, hope, and happiness. But today, it is not there to give that little shred of hope that she so desperately needs. The skies are a muggy gray, enveloped in a blanket of big, dark, clouds. The Sun, nowhere in sight. Everything seems so sad. So lifeless. The bright colors gone, far away, where the sun is able to reach them, leaving behind but a small trace of their existence..._

_This is what it looks like through her window. A lifeless world. And her eyes reflect it._

_Clank._

_The sounds of movement awaken her from her trance. Her eyes search the room. She is not surprised to find Hitsugaya there. She makes no note of him. He's always there. Every hour, minute, second of the day. He rarely leaves her sight, even when she sleeps._

_Click. Clank._

_She stares at the food he brought. Freshly cut apples, pears, and other various fruit, accompanied with a cup of water and orange juice. And next to it, her medicine._

"_Eat."_

"_I'm not hungry." she coarsely says._

"_Eat." _

"_I'm not hungry." She pushes the tray aside._

_He stares for a second. He slowly pushes the small tray of food back towards her while repeating his statement once again. Hinamori, looked at the tray once more, and pushed it even further away. "I'm not hungry." she says. Hitsugaya scowls at her response. They go through this everyday, and each time she refuses to eat. She rarely gets the recommended amount of nutrition, and each day she looks more and more like a ghost. He scowls even more. He doesn't want to force her, but sometimes is the only way. Her health worsens by the day, and he worries more. Once again he pushes the tray of food towards her._

"_Hinamori. Eat. Or I'll make you." he says coldly._

_Hinamori stared at him. She looked down back at the food, and then at him again._

"_I'm not hungry."_

_Hitsugaya loses his patience. He's always there trying to help Hinamori out in every way he can. He visits her regularly, stays with her at night, and even takes up her work. But yet, he finds all his attempts futile. There he is, trying his best to aid her, and all he can do is watch as she grows thinner and weaker by the day._

"_Hinamori. I'm sick of all of this. We go through this every day! You need to eat! If you don't, you'll get sicker! I can't just sit and watch you **die**!"_

_Her small, delicate, pale hands grip the sheet. She slowly raises her head and stares directly at his eyes. Her once, cheerful, caramel-colored eyes were long gone, and all that was left was behind were the now deep dark-sad brown orbs._

"_How can I eat...when the one I admire the most is being manipulated by a traitor?" she said lowly._

_Hitsugaya, already at the brick of exploding, took her comment offensive on many levels. His anger rose even more. Not being able to contain it anymore, he sent the food flying across the room ."Manipulated? By a traitor? Hinamori! He's the **traitor**! He's the one who manipulated everyone! He faked his death, slaughtered the council of 46, and worst of all, he tried to **kill** YOU!!"_

_Hinamori seem unaffected by his loud and violent actions. Her head was lowered, as she usually does when anyone speaks of her beloved captain. "Aizen-taichou did no such..."_

"_Taicho? TAICHO?!! HOW CAN YOU REFER TO HIM AS THAT?! HE'S A TRITOR! WHY CAN'T YOU COMPREHEND THAT! HE BETRAYED ALL OF SOCIETY, AND WORSE, YOU! HOW CAN YOU STILL REFER TO HIM WITH SUCH FORMALITY?! _

_Hitsugaya's face was flushed. His breathing hard, and his hands balled into fists. His hatred towards Aizen was obvious. He would never forgive the man that hurt **HIS **Hinamori. She clutched the blankets even harder. Her small body trembling. Hitsugaya, worried that he went to far, went right to her side. "Hinamori...I'm so..."_

"_Don't touch me."_

_Hitsugaya looked at her strangely. "Hinam..."_

" _GET AWAY FROM ME!" she yelled while putting her hand to her ears._

_Hitsugaya, startled from her outburst jumped back. "Hinamori, I'm only trying to help..."_

"_AIZEN-TAICHOU IS NOT EVIL! HE'S NOT! It's all a lie..." her voice lowered and she laid her hands back down to her sides. "He is kind. Nice. Intelligent. He always helped me out. He was the greatest man I have ever met...."_

_Hitsugaya looked at her with sympathy. "Hinamori, you have to accept the truth..."_

"_NO! IT'S ALL A LIE! I know him, better than you or anyone else. He would never do such a thing..."_

_Hitsugaya grasped her shoulders, gently, making sure not to hurt her. "Hinamori. All he told you was a lie! He used you for his evil plan!" She tried to shake him off. "He was never the man you knew! He didn't care about you, or your feelings!" Not being able to handle it anymore, Hinamori pushed him away. "SHUT UP!" she cried out._

"_WHY CAN'T YOU EVER LEAVE ME ALONE! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!" Hitsugaya tried to respond, but she didn't give him the chance. "ALL YOU EVER DO IS HURT ME! WHY WON'T YOU JUST DISSAPEAR?! JUST GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!"Hitsugaya stared at her in shock, unable to respond to what was happening. His eyes, were wide, and his face was pain-stricken. "YOU FAILED ME! YOU ARE THE ONE HURTING ME NOW!"_

"_What's going on?!" Unohana-taichou, captain of the fourth division, yelled calmly. She looked at the now, yelling Hinamori, and frozen Hitsugaya. Her eyes widened when Hinamori started scratching her body with her fingernails. "Restrain her!" Isane and the other assistants rushed towards her and grabbed her arms and legs._

"_I HATE YOU!" she yelled. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"_

_Though, in her condition, Hinamori still proved to be difficult to get under control."Unohana-taichou!" The calm-captain looked at her struggling lieutenant, and at the immovable "ice" captain. His face was void of any emotions. She quickly shook him out of his trance. "Hitsugaya-taichou. I'm afraid you'll have to leave. You won't be able to return until notified." The much-shorter captain, looked at her straight in the eye. She could see the pain he was going through, and how much Hinamori's word hurt him. "I'm very sorry." She gave him one last look before sending on his way. He opened the door, but stopped right before exiting, and turned his head slightly. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!!!" If it wasn't for the fact that everyone was attending Hinamori, they would've have surely seen the tears that were falling from his eyes. "Goodbye."_

_Unohana-taichou looked longingly where the smaller-captain had stood. She immediately sensed something wrong. She knew that that wasn't a normal goodbye, but she was then abruptly interrupted from her thoughts by Hinamori's screams. She slipped her hand into one of her pockets and took out a syringe. She made her way towards Hinamori and grabbed her left arm. "Shhh. Calm down child." She inserted the needle, and injected the clear liquid into her vein. Within seconds, her screams were dying down. "Leave..me...alone...." Unohana gently pushed Hinamori's hair away from her face. "He's gone Hinamori-fukutaichou" Hinamori let the last few tears fall before ceasing her now, barely audible screams._

"_Unohana taicho? Will she, will she..be alright?" The kind captain, gave her lieutenant a sad smile. "Yes. But her companion won't be healed as easily." Isane nodded with understanding. _

"_D...d...iss....." Unohana turned back towards Hinamori, and gave her the same sad smile she gave Isane. "I'm afraid your request has been fulfilled." Hinamori did not understand her words. She tried to ask, but found that she couldn't speak. She closed her eyes, and her mind slowly drifted away. Then everything went black._

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hinamori abruptly woke up from her slumber. Her body was covered in a light coat of sweat. She grasped her now damped blankets. Apparently, she had cried herself to sleep. She looked out her window. Judging by how darkened the sky was, it had been about a few hours since she ran out of Hitsugaya's office. _Hitsugaya_. She had dreamed about him. It wasn't uncommon, but, it had been a long time since she dreamed about _that day_. Maybe it was because of her conversation with Matsumoto. She put her hand over her heart. It hurt. More than anything in the world. The truth was a painful thing. And she knew it better than anyone. It had taken her a long time to be 'convinced' that Aizen was a traitor, an evil mastermind who's main goal was to obtain power. In fact it was he who convinced her. Her heart clenched at the painful memory.

"_My my. Aren't you a strong one?"_

_"Aizen-taichou! You're back!" she ran towards him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. In the background, she could barely hear the faint screams of her fellow friends. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew you would come back! I always believed you were good!" she yelled in between sobs. Then she heard a strange sound. She looked up to see her beloved captain smiling wickedly. He chuckled._

"_You silly girl." Within a second, she was on the floor, his sword at her neck. "Aizen-taichou...?"His face was dark, and his eyes...his eyes...they sent a cold chill down her spine. She sent a confused look at him. "Stupid girl. Have you not realized it yet?" he laughed evilly. "I should have known. After all, I did say, admiration is the farthest thing from understanding. Too bad that pest of yours isn't here to save you." Her eyes widened. This wasn't the Aizen she knew. No, he was never the man that he appeared to be. Suddenly everything 'clicked.' And then, she was afraid. Very afraid. "Do not fear Hinamori-fukutaichou." she flinched at the formality. "I will end this now." Her body trembled. She was terrified. The once faint screams in the background were now audible. "Hinamori! Watch out!" She watched as he raised his sword. She couldn't move. 'No, no, no, no!' she thought. She shut her eyes. The sound of metal hitting flesh rang through her ears. She slowly opened her eyes. Her uniform was stained with blood, and so was her face. Then she saw it. Her arm. Without knowing, she had raised her arm in defense. The katana left a big gash where it had made contact. She stared wide-eyed. Her body was then flooded with a wave of pain. She screamed. She clutched her arm against her chest. _

"_You ARE strong." She looked up to her former captain. His sword, raised once again. She trembled. 'Help me.' she thought. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as he swung his sword. Her friends, injured from their own battles, rushing towards her. 'It's too late.' She shut her eyes once again, waiting for the pain to arrive, and maybe, even her death. "**HINAMORI!**" _

_When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find Renji in front of her. She could not hear what he was saying. Everything was beginning to blur. He seemed to be yelling at someone else. She was then lifted up by Isane. Her head was pounding, and she felt lightheaded. She could barely even hear the sounds of battle. As she was being rushed away, she turned her head slightly. Her vision was already blurring, but she could've sworn she saw a glimpse of white hair. Then she blacked out._

Tears were now sliding down her cheeks. Her hands almost tearing the soft fabric beneath her. "Why? Why?!" She never figured out if it was Hitsugaya who she saw, or maybe just a figment of her imagination. Either way, she never did see him again.

"P..please...c..ome...back...to me!" she said in between sobs. She didn't notice the figure who was approaching her. "I..I...need you!" Her body flinched when she felt a hand on her back.

"I'm here." Hinamori looked up at the person kneeling in front of her. She couldn't help but cry even more. "Shhh. Everything will be alright." Hinamori hugged her, and buried her head into her robe. She knew that she wouldn't mind. "I...it..it's a..ll...m..m..y fa...ult!" she hiccuped. The older women stared down at the small person below her. Her outer robe was already drenched with her tears. But she didn't care. Her friend was in pain. She rubbed her back gently. "I...it...h..urts! M...Make..the pain go away!" her small hands grasped her robe tighter. The older women looked down at the sobbing Hinamori. It pained to see her that way, and almost wished she didn't have to see her in these conditions, but she was determined to help her friend. She let her cry. And cry. She allowed her to scream and yell, so the gods above would hear her, and grant her the wish of sleep. And as she watched the small sleeping form beneath her, she let her own tears escape, because she knew. She knew the pain will still reside the next day. For Matsumoto shared the same pain that Hinamori felt.

"_Gin. Where are you?"_

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Wow. -tear- I thought this was a very emotional chapter, I really enjoyed writing it (I also cried a bit lol) I really overdid myself this time! But, I hope it makes up for lost time! This was for you my readers! Tell me, was it too long, too short? Did I improve? How about the characters? Please review, for I'm not doing this for myself, but for you! I want to see what you guys think!


	4. Chapter 4

Wow! I posted only a day after my didn't receive many reviews -cries- but, as an optimist, I will look on the bright side. Exactly what bright side, well, I do not know xD Any who, this chapter includes some action, and it's somewhat long. Beware though, I've never been good at the fighting scenes xD Still, I hope you guys like it! Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own bleach or any of it's characters. (Aww man!)**

'Lovely' =thinking in their minds

"Lovely"= speaking out loud/directly to someone

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It had been a few days since Hinamori's "moment" and everything seemed to be falling back into place. But still, many questioned the bags under her and Matsumoto's eyes. Hinamori, nervously replied with , "My medicine gave me some horrid stomachaches and I had trouble sleeping." Of course, everyone knew it was a lie, but dared not to question her. As for Matsumoto, her answer was more... believable."Oh, you should have seen it! The biggest bottle of sake I've ever seen!! And it was on sale too! I simply couldn't resist!"

So the days flew by, without much trouble. Hinamori now sat in her desk, finishing the last of her papers. As she finished organizing her papers, she let out a long sigh. "So much work... Why can't there be a day without so much paperwork!" She relaxed, and sank into her seat. 'I wonder if Matsumoto's sleeping right now' she thought. Throughout the years, her relationship with Matsumoto had grown, and the two had become much closer. After Hitsugaya's disappearance, it was Matsumoto who kept her company. She didn't stay with her in the infirmary as long as Hitsugaya did, but she always made sure to stop by. She always used to ask her about her work, and Matsumoto, being the way she was, told her she 'bribed' her drinking buddies with one of the her most treasured and expensive Sake. Hinamori giggled at the memory. Matsumoto was like a sister to her now. She always listened to her problems, and always gave her great advice. And to top that off, she was the one who helped her get over Aizen. _Traitor._ "I hate him." she stated coldly to no one in particular as the image of her former captain came into her mind.

Suddenly a big eruption interrupted her thoughts. Hinamori was taken off guard, and had fallen of her chair and onto the hard floor. She rubbed the spot she hit as she scolded herself for dozing off. "I wonder what could have caused that. It sounded almost like an...explosion"

"Hinamori-fukutaichou!!"

Hinamori looked up to find one of her assistants at the front door, his face covered in sweat. Hinamori could tell the young boy had ran over as quick as possible. "What is it Haru?" The boy, still exhausted from his little sprint, could not form any words. "T..he....res...a....oll..train...." Hinamori rushed to his side, telling him to calm down and catch his breath. It took a minute before he could breath again. "Hinamori-fukutaichou! A Hollow has been spotted in the 5th quarter's training grounds!" Hinamori eyes widened a bit. 'Hollows? Here? How strange' she thought to herself. She told the young boy to stay behind as she flashed-stepped towards the training grounds. It did not take her long to arrive, but surely, there was was a hollow there. It was a rather big one, but what caught her attention the most, was the fact that it was attacking the newly recruited assistants.'They don't stand a chance against the hollow!' She ran towards them, her hands gripping the hilt of the Tobiume. The hollow was approaching the recruits, who were frozen, unable to move from their place. The hollow raised it's spiked arm... and.... "MOVE!"

CLANG! The terrified recruits opened their eyes to find, Hinamori Momo, blocking the hollow with her katana. "Move." She said through clenched teeth. The recruits quickly scampered off. With the recruits out of danger, Hinamori pushed the hollow back. It roared in anger. It turned it's head towards the recruits who were now a couple of feet away. It's eyes glowed a bright red, it's mouth hanged open It licked it's sharp teeth, as if savoring them. 'What?! Why is it after them?' She striked. The hollow dodged, and ran at the direction where the recruits were standing. Hinamori quickly flashed stepped, and countered with her katana, striking it in it's arm. The hollow fell back. "Quickly! Get out of here!" The recruits could sense the fear in her voice, and ran off into the distance. Hinamori returned her attention to the hollow. It stared at her for a moment, before looking back at the spot where the recruits used to be. It roared with more intensity, as if angry at her for taking his 'lunch' away. Fortunately for her, the hollow's speed slowed down due to it's injury. Without wasting much time she quickly used her kido-skills to produce a fireball. It hit directly at the mask, cracking it, and successfully killing the hollow.

Hinamori placed Tobiume back in it's sheath. She sat down on the ground, trying to catch her breath. 'What a workout' she thought. "Hinamori-fukutaichou! Hinamori-fukutaichou!" she turned to see who was calling her. Her assistant, Hiro, was waving at her with a huge grin on his face, and behind him, were all the recruits yelling excitedly. She smiled. They slowly made their way towards her. "Thank you so much!" yelled one. "Yes, you saved us all!" yelled another. Hinamori was filled with pride. "You guys are just lucky I was near by" she said while standing up. She dusted the dirt off her outer robe. "Next time, you guys should listen to your orders. You could've gotten eaten by that hollow!" The recruits faced the floor in shame. Hinamori couldn't help but feel a little sorry. "Well, you are new, so I guess is understandable." she said while giving them a small smile. They soon cheered up, and started thanking Hinamori once more until Renji appeared.

"Yo! Hinamori! You okay?" she turned her attention from the recruits to Renji. She nodded with that same smile on her face. "I got it all under control. After all, I am a vice-captain Renji!" she giggled out. "Yeah! She was so awesome! She sure showed that hollow!" yelled one of the new recruits. Renji, laughed at the young recruit's comment. "Well, speaking about vice-captains...we have an emergency meeting. The captains are also attending their own meeting at this very moment." Hinamori frowned. She wondered about the hollow she just recently destroyed. She glanced at the spot where it had dissipated, and then back at Renji. She called for Hiro, and he swiftly came to her side. "Please take care of the recruits. I don't want them running into another hollow." He responded with a "Yes Ma'am" and immediately went and started gathering all the recruits. "Well, then, let's go!" Renji shot Hinamori a quick smile and then they both made their ways to the room where the meeting was taking place.

**~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~**

"It's not that strange."

The whole group of people agreed with Kira's statement. He was right. It wasn't uncommon for a few hollows to be spotted inside the walls of Seiretei, though the number was slightly larger, it wasn't enough to intimidate anyone. Nanao stood up from her seat, "Yes. The number of hollows spotted was in the normal range, but doesn't it seem strange that they appeared so suddenly? We hadn't had an attack in a while, and the appearance of these hollows may be a sign of ….."

"There's nothing to worry about! Just a few hollows more than usual. What's the big deal?!" yelled out Hisagi from across the room. Nanao shot him a dirty look, not only did she take his comment as offensive, but she was irritated that someone had cut her off. "I think Nanao makes a good point" The room turned towards the read headed men. "The hollows were _different._" Everyone seemed confused by Renji's last statement. "What do you mean different?" inquired Isane. "I don't know, but I just have a bad feeling in my gut" Hisagi laughed at his last comment, resulting in an angry Renji. While they squabbled on, Hinamori thought to herself. The hollow she fought that afternoon _was_different. "Renji's right." Everyone silenced at the sound of someone speaking. "This is not normal." Matsumoto stared strangely at her friend. "What do you mean?" Hinamori frowned as she recollected the memories from the recent fight. "The hollow I fought today was no ordinary hollow. It was...different. Instead of targeting me, it went straight for the new recruits. It kept trying to attack them, even though their reiatsu wasn't very strong." She frowned as the image of the hollow licking it's lips came into mind. "I could sense that something was wrong, but I didn't know what." Everyone contemplated at Hinamori's words.

Just as they were starting to think more deeply, Yachiru yelled out, scaring everyone in the process. "Dangit! Watch where you're yelling squirt!" yelled Renji. Yachiru simply giggled at his comment, and pointed towards the window. "Silly! Look, a hell butterfly!" Nanao was the first to respond. She swiftly picked the butterfly and brought it to her hear. Everyone stared silently as Nanao's expression became more serious. As soon as it finished it's message, it disappeared. Nanao cleared her throat. "It seems the captain's meeting is over. They found some very serious information from todays hollow attack. Not only were we attacked, but there also seemed to be some kind of explosion somewhere in Rugonkai. There was also reports that the effects of this explosion reached the Human World. Details are still not revealed, but Captain Yamamoto and the rest of the captains advise us to keep an eye out for any suspicious activities." Seeing as no one had anything else to say, Nanao proceeded towards the door, soon followed by the rest of the vice-captains. Hinamori, remained in her seat until the room was nearly completely empty. "Hey, you alright?" asked a worried Matsumoto. Hinamori nodded. "Don't worry about it! There's plenty of skilled warriors here to keep the peace" grinned Matsumoto. 'That's not what I'm worried about...' thought Hinamori..

"Hey, listen, how about we go out to eat!"asked Matsumoto as she clapped her hands together. Hinamori, who had not gotten a bite since lunch, was quick to reply. Matsumoto, happy to see her friend in good spirits, smiled. As they stepped outside the meeting room, a cold breeze blew by. "Brrr. It sure is getting chilly out here!" Hinamori looked up to the already darkening sky. She couldn't stop herself from worrying. "Come on now! I thought you were hungry! " Hinamori snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at the older women who was already heading out. "Hey, wait!" Leaving behind the one thought that had been hanging in her mind.

_Hitsugaya, please be safe._

**~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~**

He sat on top of the hard-tiled roof, breathing in the cold air, his face crumpled into a small frown.

"If you keep frowning like that, you'll end up looking like that other _idiot_"

It seemed that lately, him and the other idiot, as he usually referred to, seemed to be battling each other for 'Who-has-the-scariest-scowl" award. The young girl approached quietly, and sat a few feet away from him. He let out a long sigh, and watched as his breath condensed in the cool night air. His fingers traced down the small particles of ice that were beginning to form on the tiles. "Who'd figure you'd be just as stubborn and hardheaded as that idiot. Every time one of you guys mess up you come up here and sulk about it." He shot a cold glare at the young girl. "Hey, I'm not the one with emotional problems kid" she said while raising her hands in defense. His glared intensified when she referred to him as a "kid". "You know, that's the great thing about both of you. You always worry too much. No matter how small your mistakes are, you always end up beating your selfs about it."

"Hmph."

She pulled her knees together as a gust of cold wind blew by. "You're going to get sick." he stated. She looked up to where he was sitting. His face was facing the sky. To some people, it may have appeared rather cold, the way he acted, but she was used to it. After all, who wouldn't when they lived with an "Ice Prince" most of their life. "There was nothing you could do about it. You had no choice but to stay." She heard him grumble as she spoke about the day's earlier events. "I'm sure she wanted to do the same." He turned his head towards her. Her head laid on her knees, and on her face had that usual know-it-all smirk. He couldn't help but feel a little better.

"Yo."

Both individuals turned to find the orange-headed Ichigo, and the strangely calm Rukia, both in their shinigami uniforms. "Got a message for you!" yelled Ichigo as he threw a small envelope across the roof. The young man quickly read it. A small and rare smile appeared on his face. 'Finally' He quickly rose from where he was sitting, he then proceeded to help the girl next to him. He felt guilty for what he was about to do. After 2 and ½ years, he had grown accustomed to the young girl, hes sister, her home, and dared he say, even her arrogant and perverted father. It almost pained him to leave. _Almost_. "Karin..." The girl gave him that same smug look she gave him the first day she saw him. "Cut the crap. Go already. I'm sure she's waiting anxiously for you on the other side." If it wasn't for the fact that he had been living with her family for over 2 years, he would of showed her who's boss. But he didn't. "Don't mess up like my idiot brother." she grinned. It always did surprise him, how a girl could be so tough. He gave her a small handshake. "Like I would ever make such a mistake like that fool." She laughed. "Until next time" he said. And then he was ready to go.

"Yo, Whitey! Move it!" yelled an impatient Ichigo.

The young boy turned, leaving a somewhat-melancholy Karin behind. He stopped in front of Ichigo, and stared at him with his cold icy glare. "What?" Within a second, the young white-haired boy had Ichigo's left arm frozen onto his back. "It's Hitsugaya-taichou!" He then threw him down the roof, making him land face-first onto the concrete. "WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT?! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!" Rukia, who had gracefully landed onto the ground simply told to Ichigo to 'Shut up' and proceeded to dragging him by the collar to Urahara's shop. Hitsugaya soon followed.

"_Please be safe Hinamori."_

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

The new recruits watched intensely at their teacher, as she showed them how to use different types of Kidou spells, while maintaining speed, and balance. They jotted notes down, when they deemed it necessary, but otherwise, they're attention was fully focused onto the training grounds. They watched carefully. The way she swayed her arms, and the way her fingers curled to make the right signs. And how she maintained that sense of gracefulness after each spell. After she finished her demonstration, Hinamori made her way towards them. "Now that I showed you, try practicing those moves on your own." The recruits quickly scrambled onto the training field and positioned themselves, trying out the new "moves" Hinamori had just demonstrated. Though most of them had some kind of exposure to Kidou, they're skills still needed much improvement. 'Such as the people who are in the fourth division' she joked to herself. She decided to sit in a nearby bench, and simply watch the recruits practice, but as usual, her mind was wandering off into space.

'It's so peaceful today. I'm glad there wasn't any more attacks.' she thought to herself. She was still bothered by the hollow she had destroyed two days ago, and seeing as there were no more attacks, she was able to relax just a little. She then recalled Nanao's words. _"...the effects of this explosion reached the Human World._" She wondered about Hitsugaya. Was he alright? Was he hurt? Thousands of questions soon flooded her mind. 'No, He's fine. I know it' she tried to assure herself. But, that still didn't change the fact that she was worried about him _and_ that she couldn't stop thinking about him. 'I'm so hopeless!' she mentally scolded herself.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou! Hinamori-fukutaichou! Look!"

She was quickly brought back to the real world, by the sound of yelling from one of her recruits. She spotted the one who was calling out to her. "Yes, Ryuu?" The young boy took his position before showing her the technique she had demonstrated not so long ago. She watched closely, as he performed the technique almost perfectly. "Wow! Great job Ryuu! You definitely have improved! I'm really proud of you!"Hinamori exclaimed as she sent him one of her signature smiles. The boy blushed at her kind words. "You have great skills Ryuu. You should consider helping out the rest of your companions." Ryuu beamed with pride. "You really think so?" he asked tentatively. "Of course! With a little more practice, that is." She was about to demonstrate where his flaws were, but she then saw Kira heading her way. "Oh, sorry Ryuu, but do you mind practicing with the rest of the recruits?" The young boy's smile faltered a little, but he nodded and soon ran off and joined the rest of his comrades.

"Hello there Kira! What's bring you here?"

Kira being as _moody_as usual replied with a simple "Just stopping by" Hinamori didn't seem to care though. As one of her closest friends, she was already accustomed to his personality. They both sat together in the bench where she had sat recently, idly talking away, telling each other bits about their day. "That kid..I don't like him." Kira said, as he pointed to a young boy, with dark brown hair, in the center of the training field. Hinamori blinked twice at his comment. "Ryuu? Why, he's such a nice boy Kira! He's very talented too!" Kira kept staring at the boy. "I don't like the way he acts around you." Hinamori was confused. She did not understand what Kira was talking about. "Flirting and all this whatnot. He's lucky. If Hits..." Kira cut himself off before he finished his sentence. 'Damn it' He silently cursed at himself for almost bringing up _that person_. Hinamori looked at him with blank expression. "Uhh, what I was trying to say, is that... uhhh, that he needs to..uhh...keep is act straight!Yeah. That's all." Hinamori, still a bit confused only said an 'oh'. Kira, still angry at himself, was about to apologize for confusing Hinamori when the ground started shaking. Hinamori, scared of what was happening, quickly grabbed on to her friend's arms. "What's going on Kira?" He was about to speak when suddenly, the sound of shrill screams where heard.

There in the middle of the training grounds, stood a hollow. Below it, was the recruits, frozen-stiff. She noticed they were looking not at the hollow, but above him. Her eyes widened. There in the sky, a dark ridge was forming, and dozens of hollows were appearing from it. In the background, a siren was going off. Danger! Danger! We're Under Attack!" As the images of what was going on finally clicked Hinamori quickly ran towards the recruits in the training field. "Kira! We have to help the recruits!" she yelled. Dozens of recruits were laying on the field injured. Hinamori was quick to react. "Kira! Keep the hollow busy while I help the recruits get out of here!" Kira nodded, and and in a second was battling the hollow. Meanwhile Hinamori, with the help of the recruits who were not harmed, carried the injured recruits. "Someone please go take these to the fourth division, and bring help!" Many of the recruits, ran, carrying many of their injured friends. Hinamori went back in the field for the rest. There was a lot left unconscious, and it didn't help that they were all heavy, thankfully, the recruits she had sent to the fourth division, came back quickly, and with more help. She was sweating by the time they came to aid her. As she made her way back to look for any more injured recruits, she looked towards Kira. He was also sweating, and seemed to have trouble defeating the Hollow.

'Curse this Hollow! Why can't I kill it!' Kira was already reaching his limit, but the hollow seemed unaffected. He quickly dodged one of his attacks. 'Damn. My attacks are not working! If I don't finish this quickly the remaining recruits may be killed!' Kira was to busy thinking to himself, that he failed to see the hollow coming towards him. When he noticed, he was barely able to escape it's attack. Kira fell onto the ground on his knees, clutching his bleeding arm. "You puny man. Did you think you could defeat me?!" He was about to attack again, when he was suddenly attacked by a handful of fire blasts, knocking him out. "Kira!! Are you okay!" Kira looked up to see Hinamori running towards him, zanpakuto in hand. Once she reached him she saw his injured arm, and she dropped her katana next to him "Kira! You're hurt!" "I'm fine." he replied. "Did you get all the recruits out?" Hinamori could clearly see that he was in pain. She turned to see the unconscious hollow on the ground. 'I have to help Kira before the hollow attacks again!' she thought. She helped Kira get up, and slung his arms over her shoulder.

"Come on Kira! We have to get out of here!" She tried to walk as fast as she could, without hurting Kira, or alarming the hollow. Ryuu saw them, and ran towards them. "Are you okay Hinamori-fukutaichou?" he asked worriedly. "Yes, please help me with my friend." He obeyed her commands, and swung Kira's other arm onto his shoulder. They were only a couple of feet away when Hinamori realized something. "Tobiume! I left Tobiume back in the field!" Ryuu hearing this, dropped Kira's arm and ran back towards where the hollow laid. Hinamori almost tripped as Kira's weight was pressed onto her. "Ryuu!! Come back!! It's too dangerous!" But Ryuu was already making his way towards her katana. Hinamori adjusted Kira's body onto her back. "Come on Kira! Just a little more." He was already losing consciousness, and Hinamori was having trouble carrying him. His weight was putting a strain on her back. Once she finally reached the recruits, assistants from the fourth division helped her get Kira off her back. "Please, take him back to the infirmary." she said in between breaths. The assistants nodded, and took her friend away. Hinamori then turned, and ran back towards the direction that Ryuu had run towards.

Ryuu had finally reached his destination. He wiped the sweat that had formed on his face. He looked, and right beyond the hollow laid her sword. 'Tobiume' He ran, without a second thought, towards the abandoned zanpakuto. He failed to see the rising hollow behind him.

Hinamori, using her speed, ran, desperately trying to reach Ryuu before the hollow awakened. As she grew nearer to the spot where she had left Tobiume, she could sense his reiatsu. Once she was close enough, she was able to make out his apparently, running form. She sighed to see that he was unharmed, but stopped instantly In her tracks as she saw the dark, rising form behind him. "Ryuu!!!!"

Ryuu picked up the small katana, careful not to hurt himself. "Hehehe. What are you doing here all by yourself, _boy?_" His body stiffened at the sound of a dark voice. He turned slowly to find the once unconscious hollow, standing before him. He narrowed his eyes. He could faintly hear the voice of his commander in the background. "Heh. Don't try to be brave boy. I can sense your fear." He stayed in his position, not moving an inch. "Insolent boy. I will teach you to fear me!"

Hinamori's heart dropped as she saw Ryuu facing the hollow. Unmoving. "Ryuu!! Ryuu!!" she yelled. He seemed to not hear her. 'What's wrong with him?' As she got closer, she could see him putting Tobiume back onto the ground, and unsheathing his own sword. "Ryuu!! No!! Run Ryuu!!"

Ryuu could now hear Hinamori's voice, but decided to ignore it for the moment as he laid her katana down, and unsheathed his own. "What?! A measly boy like you trying to put up a fight with me?!" The hollow laughed maniacally. Ryuu glared. 'I'll show you!" He quickly took his position. "Kidou Arts! Spell #??" Just as he was about to perform the last sign, the ground trembled, and knocked him down. He raised his body into a sitting position, and try to reach for his weapon,when a dark, giant foot blocked his way. He looked up to find the hollow, with an evil-smirk on his face. Suddenly he felt afraid. He stared wide-eyed, at the hollow. His body frozen into place. "Ryuu!! Run!" He tried. But his body would not obey. His body, trapped under the hollow's gaze.

Hinamori saw as Ryuu laid on the ground, frozen, unmoving. "Ryuu!! Run!!" Nothing. She saw, as his eyes slowly widened. She looked up at the hollow. It was hovering over him, with it's clawed hand, raised in mid-air. "You're mine now Boy!!" "Nooooooo!!" screeched Hinamori. She flash stepped, as fast as her abilities would allow her. She stopped right in front of Ryuu, and covered him protectively with her arms. The clawed hand came down, with incredible speed.

Then, a sharp cry filled the air.

* * *

**(A/N):**Wow. 4,513 words! I wrote much more than last time! *proud of herself*-I hoped you liked it! Please review, or message, or something! *feels unappreciated*I really want to know what you guys think!! Remember! I accept constructive criticism and ideas as well! Until next time!

Oh, and for those who did not understand the **"Kidou Arts! Spell #??"**Well, I don't really know what spell was appropriate for a new shinigami so I just put the little question marks in there xD Any who, review please. Help and advice is always appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

Well hello there fellow readers!! Thanks to all who reviewed, and a special thanks to the ones who gave me some great advice, and ideas as well! This story is for you! I'm sorry if it seems rushed...really...i'll do better on the next chapter. And for the ones who wondered if Hitsugaya appeared at the end of the scene from the previous chapter...well read on and see what happens ;D

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach, or any of its characters. I do in fact own this story! No stealing! lol Seriosuly though...**

* * *

In the Previous Chapter...

"_Nooooooo!!" screeched Hinamori. She flash stepped, as fast as her abilities would allow her. She stopped right in front of Ryuu, and covered him protectively with her arms. The clawed hand came down, with incredible speed. _

_Then, a sharp cry filled the air._

* * *

The high-pitched cry rang through Ryuu's ears. It was a horrible sound. It was not a yell for help...more like a scream from a girl who knew she was going to die... His heart dropped when her voice filled the air with an unrecognizable screech, and then the sound of dripping blood soon followed. He held onto her arms, with his eyes shut, afraid to see what was in front of him, afraid to see her dea..he couldn't go on. And then he felt it. Her warmth. "H...h..Hinamori-fukutaichou?" No sound. He opened his eyes, to meet dark-chocolate brown ones. Her breath, was hard, and came out short, but she seemed unharmed. He could see the confusion in her eyes, and the fear as well. What happened? He looked over her shoulder, and was shocked at the sight he saw.

Hinamori had been prepared for the pain that she was to receive when the hollow attacked. She let out a loud scream when the hollow's arm came down, but then...nothing. She crouched there for a minute, wondering why the pain had not arrived. Then, the voice of Ryuu awoke her. She had opened her eyes, to see him, with his eyes closed. He was unscathed. When he opened his eyes, she could see that he was also confused. She felt his head move over her shoulder. The expression he had made her body shudder. She slowly turned her head, and...

Nothing.

The field was empty. And the hollow...gone. 'Impossible.' She slowly let go of Ryuu, to observe her surroundings. The hollow was definitely gone. No traces left of it. 'How could this have happened?' Before she could even get another thought, a strawberry-blond woman was making her way towards them.

"Hinamori! Are you alright!?" she asked worriedly. Hinamori nodded as her dear friend helped her up. 'I wonder..."

"Matsumoto, did you not see what happened?"

Said women faced her, with a blank expression. "See what?" Hinamori looked at the direction where the hollow was standing before it had 'mysteriously' disappeared. Then, another question popped into her head. "How did you find me Matsumoto?"

This time, the older woman looked at her with a perplexed look. "How? Your scream could be heard from the other side of Seiretei! As soon as it reached my ears, I followed the direction from where it came from, of course, with some help from some of fourth division's assistants. Once I arrived, all I saw was you holding that boy over there." She pointed towards Ryuu, who seemed to be busy staring off into the distance. Hinamori looked at the sky. Something inside her told her that there was more to the hollow than it appeared. The sounds of sirens brought her back to reality. "We better go." Hinamori nodded, with a serious expression. She then shook Ryuu out of his trance.

"Come on. We have to go."

As Ryuu was being dragged by his commanding officer, he couldn't help but look back at the field. His mind flashed back to the point where he was looking above Hinamori's shoulder. Although, when Hinamori had turned to see the field to find nothing, he still felt uneasy.

"Ryuu, please, keep up." said a very agitated Hinamori.

He could've sworn that he had seen a flash of white hair.

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hinamori shuffled uncomfortably from her position. Who wouldn't, when none other than the the great CaptainYamamoto was present? Next to her, sat, a very pale Ryuu, looking straight ahead, listening intently to the commander's voice.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou."

Hinamori straightened at the sound of his voice.

"Please, tell me what happened."

Hinamori nodded hesitantly, and before she could think about it twice, the words started to flow from her mouth. She described everything in perfect detail. It was necessary, so that the elders could judge the situation with as much understanding as possible. As the words kept flowing from her mouth Ryuu became more tense.

"And then...it was gone." finished Hinamori with a long sigh.

Yamamoto stared off into the distance. Letting the information that Hinamori had just given him sink in.

"Ryuu."

The young recruit stiffened.

"You are to serve under Unohana's squad for 4 months during the night shifts. You are to clean and scrub each infirmary every single night. As punishment for your disobedience."

Ryuu's face went paler. All color was gone from his face. The night shifts were the most difficult and gruesome. He had heard many stories from various sources. Some of 4th squads assistants told of their own experiences and how they had nightmares for many nights afterwards. He shuddered.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou, please...night shifts may be too much...and for four months..."

"Hinamori-fukutaichou. This is a fair punishment for his disobedience."

"But..."

"No. I am sorry, Hinamori-fukutaichou. He must pay the price for his rash actions. Not only did he disobey his commanding officer, but he also risked both your lives."

Hinamori sat there quietly. There was nothing more she could do. She lacked the backbone and the power to go against CaptainYamamoto and his orders.

"And as for you Ryuu." The young recruit looked up at him, scared beyond words. "I hope this has taught you a valuable lesson." He nodded, not being able to do anything else. "Very well. You are dismissed."

Hinamori helped Ryuu rise. They both bowed, before leaving. As the made their way to the doors Hinamori could not help but ask if he was okay. Ryuu, still shaken from Yamamoto's words, only nodded in response.

Back in the grand room, Yamamoto sat in silence, contemplating the day's events. Everything was so strange. The attacks. The hollows. Even the recruits. He closed his eyes for a second before opening again when sensing a familiar reiatsu. "It's very rude to keep hiding there. Lieutenant Matsumoto."

The strawberry-blond woman made her way out of the shadows, she bowed her head slightly. "I am sorry Captain Yamamoto, I did not mean to intru..."

"I'm sure you didn't come here to apologize to me." he said sternly. Matsumoto straightened herself up.

"I know that hollow did not disappear just by 'accident'. I know that there is _someone _behind it."

Yamamoto stared at her intensely, and then relaxed a little when a young man appeared from behind. "I knew you would've noticed." Matsumoto gawked at the young man in front of her. Was he really standing before her? She didn't realize that she was staring at him until he once again, broke the silence. "Oi. Quit staring." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And here I thought you'd be happy to have me back." His eyes held a glint of mischief, and if it was anyone else, they wouldn't have noticed.

"**Taichou!!!"**

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hinamori scanned the area one last time. It was starting to get dark, but that was not what she was worrying about. She shuddered as another cold gust was thrown at her. The start of Winter was only a few days away, and she could already feel the changes in temperature. 'Unohana-taichou will surely scold me if she sees me out here.' She continued her patrolling. 'I only have a few more clearings to inspect' she though positively as she jumped from roof to roof. She was on her last stop when she noticed the small river which lead through 4th division's gardens. 'Maybe I can take a small break.' She quickly masked her reiatsu as she slowly made her way to one of the cherry blossoms nearby. She looked around, to see if anyone was hanging around, and to her luck, she found no one. 'Well, who would be out here at this time of night anyway?' she thought humorously. She made herself comfortable at the root of the tree. She was happy that it provided a lot of shade from the moon's light, so even _if_ someone walked in, no one would notice she was there.

She looked at the small stream, and then at 4th division, which was a good distance away. She sighed. A few month's after she had awakened from her long coma, she was allowed to walk around. Naturally, she spend most of her time in the garden. Either to think, or simply just get away from Hitsugaya's constant presence. She let out a long sigh. _Hitsugaya_. His name constantly plagued her mind. So much at times, that she constantly found herself falling behind in most of her work.

She brought her knees closer to her chest. 'I wonder if he's okay' She buried her head into her knees. 'Of course he's okay. He's with Kuchiki-san, and Kurosaki-san. I'm the one who's not okay...' She looked up at the already darkened sky. The moon, who often comforted her during her restless-nights, was hidden beneath the clouds. 'Can he see the same moon that I look upon almost every night?' The wind howled, as if trying to respond to her unspoken question. She sat there, waiting for the moon to show itself, but the clouds forbid it. She sat in silence, until the sounds of people brought her back to reality.

She concealed herself, in the trees shadow, waiting for the people to pass by. They were two girls. She recognized one, as one of the recruits that she saved earlier that day. 'They must have been getting healed at the fourth division.' thought Hinamori.

"Yeah. I'm glad the 4th was able to stop the bleeding, I was scared to death I tell you!" yelled the young recruit. Her friend, as Hinamori assumed, seemed to nod in approval at most of the girl's comments. "Well, we better head back to our quarters. It's nearly 11:30!" Hinamori froze. She waited in the dark, until she could not hear the girls steps.

'Oh my gosh! I just wasted 45 minutes!' She quickly rose to her feet, and without even looking at her surroundings stepped out the tree's shadows. 'I will surely get in trouble if I don't finish my rounds and send that report!' she was about to speed off to her last destination when...

_**Snap.**_

Hinamori's head swiveled towards the direction of the sound. Her hand was on Tobiume's hilt, ready if anything was to come at her from the shadows. She looked around. The sight was bare, except for a few trees here and there. Her grip on Tobiume loosened. 'It was probably just the wind' She quickly turned on her heel, and was about to jump the small stream, when another snap was heard.

Hinamori had slipped from the rock she was standing on, and fell into the stream with a small splash. The water was freezing, but she found herself unable to move away. She then noticed, that her reiatsu had flared up. She rapidly masked it, and cursed herself for not being more careful. But it was already too late. She could see someone making their way towards her. As quietly as possible, she made her way towards the edge of the stream, where it was harder to spot her. Once the person came into view, Hinamori was able to recognize them. 'Oh no! It's Isane! If she finds me here, she'll turn me in to Unohana-taichou!' Hinamori leaned more towards the edge of the stream, her mind running at 1000 miles per hour. Unfortunately, she wasn't watching her hands, and accidentally scraped her wrist with a sharp rock. '"Ouch!" she swiftly brought her other hand to her mouth as she held her wrist closer to her chest. Isane, who had been scanning the area where she was recently standing turned and started walking directly in her direction. Hinamori shut her eyes. 'Just great.' Suddenly the sounds of frantic people was heard from the opposite direction.

"Isane-fukutaichou! We need your help! Where are you Isane-fukutaichou?!"

Isane turned her head towards the sound of the people. A young girl appeared from the shadows, and started yelling about some patients in 4th division. Isane quickly turned and headed back towards 4th division with great speed, leaving behind a very nervous Hinamori.

'Oh. Thank you! Thank you!' she silently prayed. As soon as Isane's reiatsu had faded into the distance, Hinamori made her way out of the shadows. Her uniform was drenched, and her arms were covered in dirt. She checked the hand she had scraped against the rock. 'It's not that bad' She was about to stand, when a small stinging-pain ascended from her foot. She looked down and realized that her left foot, was still inside the stream. She observed it closely, but without the moon's light to help her, she could not see a thing. She tried pulling it out, but that only made the pain worse. 'Oh no! I think it's stuck!'

She frantically tried to ease her foot out, but it would not budge. 'What am I going to do?!'

_Call for help of course._

'Who?!'

_Fourth division is only a few yards away..._

Hinamori stared intensely at Tobiume. 'Why would I do that?! If Unohana-taichou finds me here, she'llsurely let me have it! I can't call for anyone in fourth division...'

_What do you plan to do then?_

Hinamori thought for a second. 'I don't know. Wait for someone else to pass by?'

_Who will be out here at this time of night?_

Hinamori stiffened. 'I'm sure _someone_ would come around'

_Surely you do not plan to do that. You're soaking wet, your wrist is in need of medical attention, and the temperature out here is unsuitable for the conditions you are in_.

'If you're not going to help then leave me alone!'

_As you wish child. I'll let you be._

Hinamori sat there, no longer hearing her zanpakuto. She put her hands on the side of her head, hoping as she usually did when desperate for answers. She searched for any other ideas that might be useful in her situation, when a small wind blew by. She shivered.

'It's cold.'

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hitsugaya released himself from Matsumoto's death hug. His face flustered. "Watch where you put those _things_" he yelled, pointing accusingly at Matsumoto...and her _friends_. She simply giggled at his embarrassed face.

"I couldn't help myself taichou! Seeing you there...I just wanted to hug you to see if it was really you!" she said while launching herself once again. He dodged easily.

"Cut it out Matsumoto!"

Matsumoto stopped, and simply smiled. "I'm just so happy to see you back! Can't you let you poor fukutaichou even give you a hug?" He crossed his arms over his chest once again. "I already did. And you suffocated me with those _things_ of yours. One hug is enough." he stated coldly. Matsumoto pouted.

"You're as cold as ever taichou." She was about to launch herself again, when she suddenly remembered who was in the room. She laughed nervously. "Eh...sorry about that Yamamoto-soutaichou. I got a little carried away." Yamamoto simply stared.

"We'll be leaving now, Yamamoto-soutaichou" cut in Hitsugaya. He bowed his head, before turning and heading for the grand doors.

"Eh, yes. We'll be leaving now." followed Matsumoto, and with a quick bow, rushed to catch up with her superior.

"Taichou! Wait up! You can't have a party without me!"

Hitsugaya scowled. "Don't want one."

"Come on! Just a few people.."

"No."

"Okay. Then let's celebrate with some sake!"

"Definite no."

Matsumoto pouted. "Don't be such a stick in the mud!"

As their voices started to fade, Yamamoto let a small chuckle escape from his lips. "Youngsters."

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hinamori laid outside shivering. Her foot...stuck somewhere beneath the small stones in the stream. Her lips quivered lightly as another strong wind blew by. A small blue light radiated from her hands. She was using her reiatsu, to keep her body warm. It helped stop most of the shivering...but she was running out of reiatsu...

'How long have I've been out here?' Her small hands trembled. It was useless to try and cover them up inside her uniform, seeing as it was still soaking wet. Then, her body shook, with uncontrollable coughs.

_Are you okay child?_

'Y...y..ye..ess..just......c..ol..d'

She coughed again.

_You are sick child! I can feel it! Your reiatsu levels are also running low. You need help!_

'I don't...think...I have..the strength...to call...for someone...'

I will lend you some of my strength child. To keep you awake. Unmask you reiatsu.

'Thank you...Tobiume...' she said slowly before unmasking her reiatsu. It was lower than before. Only the people with great skill in detecting reiatsu will be able to find her...

_Someone...please find my master soon._

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hitsugaya stared at his office. He walked towards his desk. Exactly the way he left it. He looked at Matsumoto.

"What? You didn't think I'd let nearly 3 years of paperwork pile up, now did you?"

Something about the way she said it made him doubt that she actually did her paperwork. Then again, he really didn't want to know how she got it done. He simply replied with a "Hmph"

"Sit down, sit down, taichou! You must be tired! I'll go get some..."

"No sake."

"I was going to say tea...but sake works good too!" she said with a cheeky smile. She went off to gather the required materials, and in less then 15 minutes, she was serving the hot steaming tea. Hitsugaya inhaled the relaxing aroma. It had been a while since he had a sip of his favorite drink.

"Sooo..." He didn't like the way she said that. "Tell me taichou. Why didn't you let Hinamori see you?" she asked, while pouring herself a cup of tea. Hitsugaya stared at his cup intensely. He blew the steam away before taking a small sip.

"It was for the best." Matsumoto raised an eyebrow. Hitsugaya knew she wouldn't understand. "I didn't want her going into state of shock or panic by seeing me." he simply stated. There was a moment of silence, before Matsumoto started speaking.

"You had no idea how she was going to react. You shouldn't make assumptions, taichou."

"It was exactly because I had _no idea_ that I did it. I was being...cautious."

Matsumoto put her cup down on his desk and propped her head on her hand. "Just like you taichou. The ever so cautious one. But let me assure you that her reaction to seeing you _will_ be a happy one." Hitsugaya gulped the last of his tea and poured himself another cup. He stared at her..well...more like glared at her as he once again, inhaled that delicious aroma of green tea.

"And how are you so sure of that?" he asked, while raising a delicate eyebrow.

Matsumoto didn't even have a chance to answer his question because Hitsugaya had suddenly dropped what he was holding onto the floor. The cup shattered into a thousand tiny fragments, the hot liquid flowing everywhere.

"What is it taichou?!"

Hitsugaya frowned. 'It can't be.' He concentrated, putting his reiatsu to work. And then he felt it. It was very small, and hard to pinpoint, but he felt it.

"Hinamori!"

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

She didn't know if her body could get any colder. The temperature aside was frigid, and the feeling was enhanced due to her damp clothes more so that he felt like she was frosting. 'Tobiume...'

_Yes child?_

'I'm cold.'

_Do not worry child, you'll soon be relieved._

Hinamori shivered. The winds felt stronger and colder than they did when she was sitting under the cherry blossom tree. She took a moment to stare at her foot, which was still trapped in the stream. It felt...numb, like the rest of her body. Her body than began to shake more intensely, she was sure that the sound of her teeth clattering could be heard a good distance away.

_Are you okay Hinamori?_

It was the first throughout the night that Tobiume had called her by her name. Although this time, she did not respond.

_Hinamori? Child are you there?_

The only response she got, was the trembling of her body. Her reiatsu was almost completely used-up, and without consent from her wielder, Tobiume could not transfer any more of her strength.

_Hold on Hinamori_!

**~o0o~o0o~o0o~**

Hitsugaya ran blindly in the dark, but he did not care. He frantically searched for her reiatsu. "Dammit! It's really faint!"

_Calm down boy. You will never find her like that._

Hitsugaya looked down at his zanpakuto. 'Lead me to her Hyourinmaru.'

In less then a second, Hitsugaya could feel Hinamori's reiatsu once again. 'Thank you Hyourinmaru'

_Find her before it's too late, boy. Her zanpakuto. It grows frantic_.

Hitsugaya flash stepped as fast as possible towards the direction in which her reiatsu came from. He could feel it growing as he got closer to a small clearing 'She's near' he thought He then stopped to survey his surroundings. It was a relatively large area. Trees and other plants were scattered about, and a stream going through the area. Though, he could not see all of it. "Dammit." he cursed under his breath. 'I can feel her. But where is...'

Suddenly, the clouds, who had been greedily hiding the moon before, had moved slightly, letting the moon shed some of it's euphoric light onto the scene. And there he saw her. Near the stream. Her body looked so small, and it was...shaking?

**"HINAMORI?!"**

With only one flash-step, he was by her side. "Hinamori!" He grabbed her shaking body, only to realize, it was practically freezing!Her clothes were soaking wet and her skin, was so pale. "Hinamori! Can you hear me!?" He lifted her face, her eyes were a dull brown. He was about to lift her when she let out a small groan in pain. "Are you hurt?" She couldn't respond. Instead she stared at her foot. He soon followed.

"Dammit."

He dipped his hands into the immensely cold water. It hardly affected him. He felt her foot. It seemed to be lodged in between stones and mud. He tied to dig deeper, but to no avail. If he tried to pull her foot, it will only hurt her more. He stared at her face. 'I need to get her to Unohana's!' He let out a grunt in frustration as he dipped his hands back into the water. Instead of pulling or pushing, he started to release some of his reiatsu, hoping that the rocks would collapse. It worked. Slowly, but surely, the rocks started to turn into rubble, and soon he was able to pull her foot out of the water.

It was bruised, and wrinkly for being in the water for so long. He laid it gently, careful to not hurt her. He then went back up and stared at her face. Her eyes were open, but her mind seemed to be somewhere else. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, before lifting her up in his arms

"H...h....ya-..kun?"

Hitsugaya looked at her with sad eyes. "Shh. Everything will be allright." She buried her face into his chest. "S..sh..iro...chan...it's...cold...." He could barely hear her voice now. Her breathing was shallow. He scowled.

With one step...they were gone.

* * *

I hope it was to your liking! I know many of you were expecting Hitsugaya to appear in the beginning of the chapter and be all cool-and-heroic but I decided it was too....well..too many people expected it, so I decided to give it a small twist. Any how, I want to apologize for not posting it sooner. As it says in my profile, my little brother fell ill and I had to tend to him. Please understand. I hope this chapter makes up for it. =D Please let me know what you think about the characters, including Ryuu. Well, that's it. Don't forget to drop a review! It makes me happy! Next chapter will be up soon! Check my profile for status on next chapter if you wish!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello there everyone! Sorry about not updating for a while...I had a temporary bout of writer's block. :O Yes. I had a bunch of ideas flow through my head but none were fit for this story....As for the moment, I have no idea where this is headed. Any how...please enjoy another chapter of Finding Snow!

**To My Reviewers: I LOVE YOU!!!**

**SPECIAL THANKS to**: **Emikosakura27**  
She was kind enough to PM and share an idea with me. Thank you! Your idea was the foundation for this chapter!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach. Or Hitsugaya. Or Hinamori. Or their cute relationship T_T**

* * *

_Hinamori.._

_Open you eyes...._

_Please wake up Hinamori!_

"Mhmmm."

Hinamori shuffled under her blankets.

'Who's calling me?'

_Wake up Hinamori...._

Hinamori opened her eyes slowly. She groaned as her vision was engulfed in white. The light from the room was very bright, and irritating and it made it difficult for her to see her surroundings.

"You're safe now Hinamori."

"W...h.o's there?" she asked while sitting up. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't see a thing. Hinamori squinted her eyes to see more clearly. "A...nswer M..me!" she asked, fear evident in her voice.

"It's all right. No one's going to hurt you while I'm around."

Hinamori turned towards the sound of the voice.

"H..i...t..sugaya-kun?"

Her heart was beating rapidly. Could this possibly be him? She hoped, she wished, that the person standing beside her was her Shiro-chan. She sat there, waiting, for a response, an answer, for _something_. A warm hand then caressed her cheek.

"Yes?"

_Ba-dump._

Hinamori felt her heart skip a beat. She looked up at the person in front of her. Cool jade-green eyes were looking down on her.

_Oh how I missed those eyes._

Hinamori leaned into his hand.

_How I missed his touch..._

After seeing that he didn't pull back, Hinamori decided to speak. Her voice was dry, and cracked, but he could understand her.

"I..I'm so...sorry Shiro-chan" she whispered.

She felt the warm hand leave her face, and she almost wanted to cry. She was afraid to look, but couldn't bear not to see. She raised her head and found him kneeling in front of her bed. She was surprised when he grabbed both her hands with his.

"I should be the one apologizing." he said with a serious tone. "I'm the one who overreacted. I..I never should have left your side."

Hinamori could feel tears start to form in her eyes. She'd never thought the day would come where she could finally fix everything with her Shiro-chan.

"I...it's okay."

He squeezed her hands.

"I'll...forgive you....if you forgive me." she said while lowering her eyes.

He placed his forehead against hers "I forgave you a long time ago." He stared into her large honey-brown eyes...and smiled.

Hinamori couldn't hold it any longer. The tears she had been biting back began to roll down her face. She hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to his chest while she cried. They stayed there, in the same position. Unmoving. Both afraid that if they did, the dream would end.

Hinamori snuggled deeper into his haori. How she wanted for it all to last forever.

"_Stupid girl."_

Hinamori opened her eyes. Did she hear right? No. It couldn't be possible. 'It was just my imagination...' She laid her head back against Hitsugaya's chest, and continued listening to his steady heartbeat.

"_Once I eliminate him, there will be nothing stopping me from getting to you."_

She clutched Hitsugaya's haori with her small hands. 'It's only my imagination' she said to herself. 'It's only my imagination.'

"And once I get you..."

She felt a cold presence in the room. Hinamori jumped onto Hitsugaya's lap. This time she was sure that she heard Aizen's voice, and that he was near.

"H..itsugaya!" she trembled. "He's here! He's here!" she yelled frantically.

He made no move.

"H....itsugaya?"

No response. Was he afraid too? She was about to release her grip on him, when she noticed the insignia on the back of his captains haori.

_4th_

She froze. Her body tensed. 'No, no, no, no' she kept thinking. She was terrified. She clenched her eyes, and counted to ten. 'This is all just a bad dream. A bad dream. It will all go away!' When she opened her eyes, everything seemed to be the same.

She looked back down at his haori. _10__th__ Division._ She let out a long sigh. It was all just a misunderstanding. She had only misread the insignia. There was no Aizen. Just her and Hitsugaya.

'He's being awfully quiet. Maybe he's angry.'

She slowly released her arms from his neck. "I'm so sorry Hitsu..." she stopped midway. And stared in terror at the dark face in front of her. Dark brown eyes stared back at her.

She started to panic. How...when... "Let me go! LET ME GO!" she yelled.

His strong arms held her in place."My my my. You sure are feisty."

"Hitsugaya-kun!!!"

"I'm afraid your little hero won't be coming to save you this time..." he said while pointing beside her bed.

She turned her head slowly. Tears fell at the sight in front of her 'No....No..NOOOOO!' There, on the floor laid Hitsugaya's tattered body. "NOOO!" she screamed as more tears fell.

Aizen let out a low chuckle.

"And now....I have you all to myself."

Hinamori turned to face him. Fear and terror did not even begin to describe what she felt at the moment. She felt herself being pushed closer to him.

"NOOO!" she weeped. "GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

Aizen, grasped her chin and stared at her with his cold gaze. "Scream all you want . No one will hear you. No one will come and save you." Her eyes widened when she saw him reach for her obi that held her hakama in place.

"NO! NO!"

"Your all mine now..." he whispered in her ear as the sash started to loosen.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

~o0o~o0o~o0o~

_Tick_

He looked at the clock.

_Tick_

Then lowered his eyes.

_Tick_

He sat waiting, patiently.

_Tick_

As each second went by.

_Tick._

"You alright?"

He looked up, and stared with tired eyes, at the person in front of him.

"I brought you some coffee."

He took the simmering cup from her. He stared at the dark brown liquid for a second before setting it down at the small table next to him.

She looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "That bad?"

He let out another sigh. It seemed he's been doing that a lot recently.

"Look. Don't take it like that. She didn't even know it was you."

_DON'T TOUCH ME!!_

He clenched his hands.

"Unohana even said that in her state of mind..."

Hitsugaya rubbed his temple. He was tired, exhausted really. But that was no reason to be rude towards his fukutaichou. Especially since she had been so lenient with him lately.

"Look. I'm...sorry. I'm just tired."

Matsumoto stared at Hitsugaya. "I know." She knew he was in no position to put up with any nonsense. That's why she had been doing everything possible to release the stress. Heck, she even managed to get some paperwork done. She gently patted his shoulder, and gave him the most reassuring smile she could give. "It's not your fault."

Hitsugaya stared blankly at Matsumoto. Though she may be a lazy drunkard at times, she had her moments. There was no need for words. Other than Hinamori, it was her who understood him the most.

They sat there in silence. Staring at the clock. Both thinking about Hinamori. 15 minutes passed, and finally Unohana came out. Hitsugaya was the first to stand. Unohana immediately raised her hand to silence him.

"She is in stable condition. I was able to heal all the minor wounds, and am glad to announce that she did not suffer any serious body injury. Her fever, thankfully, has gone down, and it seems that her body is reacting to the medicine."

Hitsugaya and Matsumoto both stared at the older captain. Unohana simply smiled. "She'll be fine."

"Thank the heavens!" rejoiced Matsumoto.

Hitsugaya just stood there, relief flowing through his body. 'She's going to be fine' Though, he still had one question lingering in his mind.

"Unohana-taichou. I'm glad that she is no longer in critical condition. But, why hasn't she awakened since..."

Unohana never lost the calm expression on her face, even as he asked her that question. Somehow, it made Hitsugaya feel better about the whole situation.

"Her body is simply exhausted, taichou. She'll wake up in a day or so, when her body is completely rested and re-energized. There is no need to worry." Again, she smiled.

Matsumoto patted him on the back. "Come on taichou! Be happy! This is good news!"

"Hmph." was his reply. He thanked Unohana for her time, and quickly left the room.

"He can be so cold sometimes!" pouted Matsumoto. "But I know, that under that cold front of his, he's really sweet." Unohana let out a small chuckle.

"He sure has grown into a fine young man."

Matsumoto gazed on towards the door, before letting a cheeky smile appear on her face. "Heh. Let's see what the rest of the girls think."

* * *

(A/N): Yeah....it's short. Sorry. It's kind of dreadful, isn't it? Poor emotional Hinamori, I feel bad for making her cry so much....And just to let you know....Yes, she is in a coma D: That whole section where she wakes up, and thinks she sees Aizen...that was all just a dream. She woke up temporarily and yelled "DON'T TOUCH ME" then she fell into a coma. (Just wanted to explain, in case some didn't understand)

Review! Comment! PM! Remember, authors live off of reviews xD If you have anything you think might make my story better, then go ahead and say it! Ideas are also welcome!


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